Creative Challenge No. 2 - Rainbow Theme

Members were asked to create a Rainbow themed item using at least 5 of the 7 traditional colors of the rainbow; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Each entry also includes a short description of how color influenced the designers creation.

Click on the item photo to be taken to the members shop for a complete description and purchasing details.

The Voting Poll is Closed

Thank you for your votes and for supporting the EtsyHookers team!

1. Rainbow Applique Flowers and Leaves	2. Preppy Rainbow Dolly and Me Set	3. Rainbow Challenge Bracelet
4. Little Rainbow of Peace Choker	5. Donut Bear	6. Rainbow Baby Booties
7. Rainbow Flowers Purse	8. Rainbow Tarot Bag	9. Rainbows and Sunshine Dog Sweater
10. Happy Ice Cream Cone Plushie	11. For the Love of Color Hat	12. Rainbow Linen Hat
13. Psychedelic Duckie	14. Rainbow Halter Top	15. My Sunshine Headband
16. Funky Rainbow Bag	17. Rainbow Amigurumi Doll	18. Rainbow Challenge Scarf
19. Rainbow Crocheted Bag	20. Rainbow Slush Soft Doll	21. Floral Arrangement
22. Rainbow Felted Ponies	23. Rainbow Pony Purse	24. Rainbow Flyer Cat Toy
25. Jellyfish Amigurumi Stuffie	26. Barcelona Shawl	27. Felicia, a Crocheted Doll
28. In The Dark Lariat	29. Rainbow Dice Bag	30. Xylophone Fish amigurumi
31. Calypso Muffler	32. Sunshine & Rainbows Fringe Cape	33. Rainbow Braid Choker
34. Wrap Yourself in a Rainbow	35. Rainbow Beanie & Scarf	36. Sing a Rainbow of Flowers
37. Silver at the End of the Rainbow Hat	38. Most of a Rainbow Felted Pin	39. Rainbow Puzzle Hand Bag
40. Rainbow Wrist Warmers	41. Cotton Rainbow Hat	42. The I'm Coming Out Wrap
43. Rainbow Crochet Headband

Trends: Food

If you've been browsing the Etsy Hookers' shops lately, you'll have noticed an interesting trend: crochet food.



Not in a million years would I have imagined how popular crocheted food would become. I wonder when this started. What genius looked at a ball of purple yarn and thought, "Grapes"? Whoever it was, they started something. You can find just about every kind of food: donuts, popcorn, bananas and the ever popular cupcakes. Mmmm...cupcakes.



Anyway,it's too bad my daughter has outgrown the play food stage. Child's Play Crochet's chocolate chip cookies look good enough to eat! Some members' food items look like pieces of art. Have a gander at Yarnyums Fruit Tart. Wowie! I can just see that under glass as a conversation piece. Some are fashionable, like MayRae Crochet n Knit's Berry Wristlet. So cute. Some are just plan funny, like Home Hooked's Frightened Fruit Kabob. There is something for every taste (hahaha!).



If you're in the mood to cook something up yourself, there are a few Etsy Hookers selling patterns for food, like this cute egg potholder from Red Berry Crochet.




Anybody else hungry?


--
Chris

A Team Challenge, it’s not just about colors!

The EtsyHookers Creative Challenge No. 2 is now open for entries!
As the winner of our first Challenge, noradora got to choose the theme for this one. Her theme is RAINBOW colors! But it’s not just about the colors, it is a fitting description for team work. “To me a Rainbow is like a TEAM....and how the colors like ourselves compliment each other!”

Team work has been always been an EtsyHookers goal. Promoting each other’s shops and gorgeous items, fun chat threads, and let’s not forget our recent Red Hot Hooker Night; these are only a few of the ways in which members can become involved and participate with the team. And this Challenge is another fun opportunity to do so.

So, here are the Creative Challenge Guidelines for EtsyHooker members. Check back here to our blog where all the entries will be posted. And I look forward to seeing some fabulous Rainbow entries!

A Hello from CaperChris

Since this is my first post for the Etsy Hookers blog, I thought I'd introduce myself and my shop. I'm Christina, the owner of CaperChris Creations. I'm a stay-at-home Mom who loves to craft. I've tried just about anything I could get my hands on: knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, cross-stitch and, of course, crochet. My shop has, at this point in time, crocheted and sewn items. I might add other items, depending on what inspires me.

Inspiration. It's a tricky thing. You never know when the mood to create something different will strike and sometimes I wonder if it will ever strike again. I am most often inspired by nature and am lucky enough to live in a place famous for natural beauty: Nova Scotia, Canada (if you have no idea where that is, see my map :) ). My scarf, Sailor's Delight, has all the colours of a sunset over the Bras D'Or Lakes in summer. We have soak up as much of summer as we can around here, they aren't long. I have other ideas kicking around in my head based on things I've seen out walking or hiking. I just need more hours in a day to create.



My daughter is another source of inspiration. Children have such imaginations; you never know what's going to come out of their mouths. Bunny Foo-Foo and the Goon is based on a song my daughter sang around the house. I wondered what Bunny Foo-Foo would look like, so set out to create her.

I'm an obsessed reader. Other than crafting, my spare time is spent reading. Historical fiction and classic literature are my favorites. Sometimes a character inspires me to create an object and sometimes the object reminds me of a character. While making a choker, I thought, "I can see Anna Karenina wearing this" and so I named it for her.

I'm amazed at the talent on Etsy and can spend hours just poking around in other shops. A colour, a technique, etc, can spark my imagination. Just looking at other artists and admiring what they do helps me to create. I especially love prints and ephemera.

So, what inspires you?

EtsyHooker Profile --- PoohBearEWU

I started crocheting about 8 years ago while I was in college. I quickly realized that it was a great way to wind down at the end of a hard day in my college courses. I eventually got bored with just making blankets and realized there were so many free patterns out there on the Internet. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to read a pattern. Then, I found the website that changed this forever. There was a list of abbreviations that were in crocheting patterns and what they stood for. It also had pictures of different stitches so I could see how to create them. The best part was, there were video clips of someone actually doing the stitch. I was able to figure most of them out pretty quick and then I tried my first pattern. This really changed my crocheting for the better. I still am always trying to find patterns of different items that will challenge me. I have yet to make up my own pattern for something . The closest I've ever come is my Mary Janes booties. The shoe is from part of a pattern for tennis shoe booties but for the sock part of the Mary Janes I had to make that up because I could not find a pattern anywhere for how to do this. I will continue to crochet because it still acts as a great stress reliever after a hard day of teaching 2nd grade. I love crocheting and encourage everyone to learn how to sometime. You'll surprise yourself with what you can make with a needle and some yarn.

Shop:
PoohBearEWU Presents Ashley's Threads

EtsyHooker Profile --- Angelina's Wonders

My shop includes all original items made by me. I do not use any patterns at the moment. The patience and guidance of both my grandmothers has inspired me to continue this craft. I just love crocheting because it also gives me time for my mind to wander just a bit. I have so many fond memories, and my shop is dedicated to my Grandma Ange and my Grandma Mary. Each one taught me different things and that is how I developed my own style.

Shop:
Angelina's Wonders
Blog:
CCrochets Blog

And the Winner is . . .

NoraDora and her Plum Challenged Blythe Doll Set

This adorable set of doll clothes is the winner of our EtsyHookers Creative Challenge No. 1. With 18 entries it was a tough decision for voters to make.

NoraDora's Etsy shop is filled with colorful and fun clothes for Blythe dolls, Barbie, troll, and other gorgeous crocheted goodies. Her items are all one of a kind, and her own designs. With the quality of her workmanship and attention to detail, you won't find another shop offering such unique items.

As the winner of this Challenge, Nora chooses the theme for the next one. And she has come up with a terrific theme that I think you will all enjoy very much. But, I'm going to keep you in suspense! The Creative Challenge No. 2 will be revealed next week.

Thank you to all EtsyHookers members who participated in this Challenge and a big Congratulations to Nora for her gorgeous winning design!

And please take a moment to visit Nora's shop http://noradora.etsy.com